Sierra Nevada wins silver in Denver

By Gary GlancyTimes-News Correspondent

Published: Monday, October 14, 2013 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Sunday, October 13, 2013 at 3:33 p.m.

Gaining momentum as it prepares to launch a new state-of-the-art brewery in Mills River, Sierra Nevada took home a second consecutive silver medal for its Narwhal Imperial Stout at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver on Saturday.

Last year at GABF – the largest commercial beer competition in the world – Sierra Nevada earned silver in the Imperial Stout category for Narwhal, then a brand new beer that hit store shelves in Western North Carolina later in the fall.

This time, a 12.9 percent alcohol, bourbon barrel-aged version of Narwhal released in January scored silver in the Wood & Barrel Aged Strong Stout category.

Results were announced Saturday during the awards ceremony of the three-day festival.

Narwhal, a 10.2 percent dark brew, was first produced last year by Steve Dresler, Sierra Nevada's head brewer in Chico, Calif., and Scott Jennings, now head brewer of the Mills River facility, as a new addition to the company's High Altitude series of specialty beers. It was created on Sierra Nevada's smaller pilot brewing system in Chico, similar to the one that will eventually operate in Mills River and spawn many small-batch ales and lagers available only at the future Mills River restaurant and taproom.

The traditional Narwhal, described by Sierra Nevada as a "massive, malt-forward monster" rich with notes of espresso, baker's cocoa, roasted grain and a light hint of smoke, is currently available in local grocery and specialty stores.

Meanwhile, Wicked Weed Brewing Co. brought Asheville a first-ever GABF gold medal with Serenity in the American Style Brett beer category. Serenity is fermented with 100 percent Brettanomyces – or "Brett" – a wild yeast used to create Belgian-style wild/sour beers. Wicked Weed, which just opened its downtown brewery and restaurant last December and quickly developed an extensive wood-aging and wild/sour beer program, becomes just the second Asheville brewery to win a GABF award after Lexington Avenue Brewery earned a bronze for its brown porter in 2011.

Other North Carolina medal winners this year were Olde Hickory from Hickory with a silver for its Irish Walker barley wine, Mother Earth from Kinston with a bronze for its Bohemian Pilsner and Carolina Brewery from Pittsboro with a bronze for its Genuine Oatmeal Porter.

Now in its 27th year, the GABF saw its largest participation, with 200 certified beer judges from 11 countries evaluating more than 4,800 entries from 745 breweries representing all 50 states. Medals were handed out in 84 beer categories covering 138 beer styles.

<p>Gaining momentum as it prepares to launch a new state-of-the-art brewery in Mills River, Sierra Nevada took home a second consecutive silver medal for its Narwhal Imperial Stout at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver on Saturday.</p><p>Last year at GABF – the largest commercial beer competition in the world – Sierra Nevada earned silver in the Imperial Stout category for Narwhal, then a brand new beer that hit store shelves in Western North Carolina later in the fall. </p><p>This time, a 12.9 percent alcohol, bourbon barrel-aged version of Narwhal released in January scored silver in the Wood & Barrel Aged Strong Stout category.</p><p>Results were announced Saturday during the awards ceremony of the three-day festival.</p><p>Narwhal, a 10.2 percent dark brew, was first produced last year by Steve Dresler, Sierra Nevada's head brewer in Chico, Calif., and Scott Jennings, now head brewer of the Mills River facility, as a new addition to the company's High Altitude series of specialty beers. It was created on Sierra Nevada's smaller pilot brewing system in Chico, similar to the one that will eventually operate in Mills River and spawn many small-batch ales and lagers available only at the future Mills River restaurant and taproom.</p><p>The traditional Narwhal, described by Sierra Nevada as a "massive, malt-forward monster" rich with notes of espresso, baker's cocoa, roasted grain and a light hint of smoke, is currently available in local grocery and specialty stores.</p><p>Meanwhile, Wicked Weed Brewing Co. brought Asheville a first-ever GABF gold medal with Serenity in the American Style Brett beer category. Serenity is fermented with 100 percent Brettanomyces – or "Brett" – a wild yeast used to create Belgian-style wild/sour beers. Wicked Weed, which just opened its downtown brewery and restaurant last December and quickly developed an extensive wood-aging and wild/sour beer program, becomes just the second Asheville brewery to win a GABF award after Lexington Avenue Brewery earned a bronze for its brown porter in 2011.</p><p>Other North Carolina medal winners this year were Olde Hickory from Hickory with a silver for its Irish Walker barley wine, Mother Earth from Kinston with a bronze for its Bohemian Pilsner and Carolina Brewery from Pittsboro with a bronze for its Genuine Oatmeal Porter.</p><p>Now in its 27th year, the GABF saw its largest participation, with 200 certified beer judges from 11 countries evaluating more than 4,800 entries from 745 breweries representing all 50 states. Medals were handed out in 84 beer categories covering 138 beer styles.</p>